Friday, June 20, 2003 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

MOVIE LOG

Movies are rated on a letter-grade scale, from A to F. Opinions by R-J movie critic Carol Cling (C.C.) are indicated by initials. Other opinions are from wire service critics.

Motion Picture Association of America ratings:

G - General audiences, all ages.

PG - Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG-13 - Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children under 13.

R - Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or guardian.

NC-17 - No one under 17 admitted.

NR - Not rated.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

(C+) Jack's back -- and Adam Sandler's got him. That's pretty much all you need to know about this sporadically amusing comedy about a mild-mannered guy (Sandler), the victim of an airline misunderstanding, who finds his life transformed -- into a comedy of anger -- when he's ordered to seek treatment with an eccentric therapist (Nicholson). (101 min.) PG-13; crude sexual content, profanity. (C.C.)

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM

(B-) Bucking her traditional Indian family's wishes, a young woman (Parminder K. Nagra) pursues her dreams of playing soccer, triggering an uproar at home in a feel-good, culture-clash comedy that scores points for its you-go-girl spirit -- and squanders them with a contrived, obvious script that transforms a movie about female empowerment into, sigh, a catfight over a guy. "Bend It" represents a step backward for director Gurinder Chadha, but its infectious spirit and undeniable charm still make it a kick -- just not as much of one as it could have been. (112 min.) PG-13; profanity, sexual references. (C.C.)

BRUCE ALMIGHTY

(C) When a hapless TV news reporter (Jim Carrey) loses his job and rages against God, the Man Upstairs (Morgan Freeman) challenges him to accept a new assignment: assuming heavenly powers to see how much he likes the job. A shamefully underused Jennifer Aniston, stranded in the long-suffering girlfriend role, co-stars for director Tom Shadyac. At least initially, "Bruce Almighty" showcases Carrey's trademark comedic spark -- until the movie turns into a very special episode of "Touched by an Angel," metamorphosing from wacky to preachy, shtick to schmaltz, with the speed of a lightning bolt from the blue. (105 min.) PG-13; profanity, sexual situations, crude humor. (C.C.)

CHICAGO

(B) Give 'em the old razzle-dazzle: Showbiz wannabe Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) dreams of emulating '20s nightclub sensation Velma Kelly (best supporting actress Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones), becoming the Windy City's most notorious murderess -- and stealing Velma's slick lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) along with the headlines. This jazzy, pizzazzy adaptation of the hit musical isn't quite the bedazzling Broadway-to-Hollywood triumph some of us hoped for. Winner of six Academy Awards, including picture and supporting actress. (108 min.) PG-13; sexual content and dialogue, violence and mature themes. (C.C.)

DADDY DAY CARE

(C) Two unemployed fathers (Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin), stuck at home caring for their toddler sons, start an unorthodox day-care service that puts them on a collision course with a snooty preschool director (Anjelica Huston) determined to crush any rival. The reliably goofy Steve Zahn, playing a genial case of arrested development, joins the fun -- and steals the movie -- in a family-friendly comedy that stays safely planted in innocuous sitcom territory, content to surround its few guffaws with plenty of heart-tugging "Awws." (93 min.) PG; profanity. (C.C.)

DUMB AND DUMBERER

(D+) Subtitled "When Harry Met Lloyd," this prequel explores the disastrous high school years of the endearing title dullards from the 1994 original. More baffling than trying to determine who's dumb and who's dumber is trying to figure out why the Farrelly brothers would allow this feeble prequel to be made without a fight. All the gross-out humor of Peter and Bobby Farrelly's movies, but none of the goofy sweetness. It also has neither of the original stars, though Eric Christian Olsen and Derek Richardson have undergone such a complete transformation, it feels at times as if we're watching Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. (80 min.) PG-13; crude and sex-related humor, profanity.

FINDING NEMO

(A-) The latest in Pixar Animation Studios' winning streak of computer-animated features follows a neurotic clown fish (voiced by Albert Brooks) who ventures out of his home coral reef -- and into the teeming waters beneath Australia's Great Barrier Reef -- to search for his missing son. Diving into a vast undersea world, "Nemo" touches on timeless themes as it provides a fanciful, fish-eye view of Technicolor wonders. From its stellar vocal cast (which also includes Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush and Allison Janney) to its stunning array of storybook looks, "Nemo" proves a whale of a tale that's well worth catching, even if fish isn't usually your dish. (104 min.) G; a few mild scares. (C.C.)

GRAND CANYON: THE HIDDEN SECRETS

(B) Clearly, the Grand Canyon and the giant screen were made for each other, as this 1987 documentary ably demonstrates, exploring the lives of some of the people who have challenged its stark grandeur, while capturing the scenic splendors of the geological phenomenon, from wild white-water rapids to narrow side canyons etched over thousands of years. (36 min.) NR; all ages.

HAUNTED CASTLE

(B-) This Imax 3-D attraction focuses on a fledgling rock star (Jasper Steverlinck) who inherits the creepy title structure from his rock legend mother (Kyoko Baertsoen) and discovers the power behind her successful musical career: the devil himself (voiced by Harry Shearer), who inhabits the title structure surrounded by oodles of smoke and mirrors, rattling suits of armor and shimmering holographic fiends. Part movie, part amusement park ride, "Haunted Castle" is more effective as the latter, pointing Imax attractions in a new and promising direction: innovative, visually imaginative and engaging storytelling. (40 min.) PG; torture and scares too intense for very young children.

HOLES

(B-) Palindromic hero Stanley Yelnats IV (Shia LaBeouf), a youngster burdened by an ancient family curse, discovers its power -- and its solution -- at Camp Green Lake, a youth detention center in the middle of a desert, where he and his campmates are forced to dig holes "to build character" ... but suspect they're digging for something else. Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight and Patricia Arquette have a field day in this offbeat and often fanciful fable that author Louis Sachar adapts from his own award-winning novel for kids. He and director Andrew Davis pull off a delicate balancing act, burying thought-provoking themes under tons of sly, sometimes raucous fun. (117 min.) PG; violence, mild profanity, mature themes. (C.C.)

HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE

(C) Not exactly No. 1 with a bullet: A hard-nosed cop (Harrison Ford) moonlighting as a real estate agent shows the ropes to his rookie partner (Josh Hartnett), a showbiz wannabe, as they investigate a gangland-style hit on a rap group in a gritty action comedy from director Ron Shelton, who co-wrote the script with Robert Souza, a real-life veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood division. Who did it? Why? Don't worry, it doesn't matter. If this movie were a crime -- and it's close -- then the makers would be arrested for assault with a deadly dull thriller, although they could probably plead to a lesser count of attempted comedy. (111 min.) PG-13; violence, sexual situations, profanity.

IDENTITY

(B) Nine strangers stranded at a seedy desert motel -- a limo driver (John Cusack), a fading star (Rebecca DeMornay), a cop (Ray Liotta) transporting a killer (Jake Busey), a call girl (Amanda Peet), newlyweds (Clea DuVall, William Lee Scott) and a family in crisis (John C. McGinley, Leila Kenzle, John Lohr) -- join the nervous night manager (John Hawkes), trapped in a violent rainstorm, and try to figure out who's targeting them for death, and why. "Identity" may be a slick, bloody thriller, but it's also a genuine whodunit, featuring a better-than-usual ensemble and a bit more plot and humanity than this kind of modern Grand Guignol usually delivers. It may be a guilty pleasure, but at least it has pleasure to peddle. (97 min.) R; strong violence, profanity.

THE IN-LAWS

(C-) After their children become engaged, a phobic podiatrist (Albert Brooks) and a daredevil CIA operative (Michael Douglas) share a madcap spy mission in this remake of the 1979 cult classic, which featured Alan Arkin and Peter Falk as the title characters. A few minor differences emerge: Brooks plays a nerdy podiatrist; Arkin played a nerdy dentist. Douglas, in the role of secret government agent, drags Brooks' character to France; Falk, in the role of secret government agent, dragged Arkin's character to Central America. But the main difference: this new "In-Laws" isn't funny. It strives so desperately for laughs, you can almost feel the actors working up a sweat through the screen. (98 min.) PG-13; action violence, profanity, drug references, sexual references.

INTO THE DEEP

(B) This 3-D documentary explores the underwater world of giant kelp beds teeming with octopus, moray eels, pelagic jellyfish, bat rays, California sea lions, opalescent squid and red garibaldi. There's nothing innovative about the movie's look or approach, but it ably illustrates how marvelous nature's wonders can be when the right equipment is used to capture them in action -- and nothing looks better than when filmed in Imax. The 3-D effect gives you the feeling you're underwater, floating effortlessly through the giant kelp like a scuba diver. The freedom in this feeling is exhilarating. (35 min.) NR; all ages.

THE ITALIAN JOB

(C+) When a master thief's partner in crime double-crosses him following a gold bullion heist, a crack safecracker joins the team to help re-steal the gold in a remake of the 1969 Michael Caine thriller that turns out to be a star vehicle -- for an actual vehicle, the cute, spunky Mini Cooper, which could become the biggest Cooper in Hollywood since Gary. As for the movie, it's a slicker, faster-paced, high-tech upgrade that lifts the sprightly spirit and the main action set piece from the original while developing its own twists. (105 min.) PG-13; violence, profanity.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS

(B) The epic quest continues for the Fellowship of hobbits, humans, elves and dwarves battling to destroy the title ring and its evil powers. Director Peter Jackson's second chapter of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy divides the movie's focus, spotlighting dashing warrior Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) as he struggles to defeat a Middle-earth axis of evil, while four hobbits pursue their goals on the sidelines: Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin), accompanied by the slithery gremlin Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis), plus Pippin (Billy Boyd) and Merry (Dominic Monaghan), allied with a lumbering tree spirit. Winner of two Academy Awards: visual effects, sound editing. (179 min.) PG-13; epic battle sequences, scary images. (C.C.)

MAN ON THE TRAIN

(B+) French director Patrice Leconte returns to the theme of disparate, desperate souls who cross paths with this beautifully deft, witty character study -- a salute to stranger-in-town Hollywood Westerns -- about an aging tough guy (Johnny Hallyday) who comes to a sleepy town to rob a bank and forges an unlikely bond with a retired teacher (Jean Rochefort). In French with English subtitles. (90 min.) R; profanity, brief violence.

THE MATRIX RELOADED

(C+) Four years after the first "Matrix" made moviegoers go "Whoa," ultracool freedom fighters Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) return to the subterranean outpost of Zion -- the last place on Earth where humans rule the roost -- and renew their battle against the Machine Army under the command of filmmaking brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski. The first of two "Matrix" sequels due this year, "Reloaded" ups the ante for eye-popping special effects and rousing action sequences, but too often bogs down in a swamp of ponderous, pseudo-religious psychobabble. As a result, watching "The Matrix Reloaded" often feels like being trapped in an extended video game -- one that goes on and on without ever really going anywhere. Except, of course, to the trilogy's conclusion, "Matrix Revolutions," which arrives in November. (138 min.) R; sci-fi violence, sexual situations and brief nudity. (C.C.)

MYSTERIES OF EGYPT

(B+) This National Geographic tour recounts myths and magic of the chambers of the sacred tomb of King Tutankhamen, offering intimate views of Egypt's magnificent treasures. (45 min.) NR; all ages.

RAISING VICTOR VARGAS

(B+) The slings and arrows of outrageous adolescence inspire this charming coming-of-age tale about a self-styled heartthrob (Victor Rasuk) who sets his sights on the belle of the Lower East Side (Judy Marte). Writer-director Peter Sollett's feature debut, a hit at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals, offers a welcome contrast to effects-heavy blockbusters, concentrating on the low-tech -- but no less wondrous -- process of finding yourself. Watching "Victor Vargas" is as refreshing as a glass of ice water on a triple-digit day: simple, yet indisputably satisfying. (88 min.) R; profanity, sexual references, mature themes. (C.C.)

RUGRATS GO WILD

(D+) When a shipwreck strands the Rugrats' cruise liner, the little voyagers make a wild discovery indeed -- their fellow Nickelodeon cartoon stars, the Wild Thornberrys. Trouble is, both franchises suffer in this crude and cynical attempt to ram them together as the puerile Rugrats drag the charming Thornberrys down into the diaper bag with them. This is gross-out humor pitched to kids barely old enough to know what's gross and what isn't. The filmmakers even revive Odorama, a gimmick with accompanying scratch-and-sniff cards pioneered by John Waters. Meanwhile, both the animation and the plot are chaotic, cluttered and slapdash. (81 min.) PG; mild crude humor.

2 FAST 2 FURIOUS

(C+) No Diesel (as in Vin Diesel) to fuel this follow-up to the high-octane 2001 hit, but that's no problem for this needless sequel, in which disgraced cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and an ex-con pal (Tyrese Gibson) go undercover on the mean streets of Miami to trap a flashy importer (Cole Hauser) using his business as a cover for an international money-laundering cartel. The locale and the details might be different, but this is essentially the same movie, which means it's all about guys zooming around in flashy cars and ogling hot women in bikinis. This, of course, is what you pay to see. And director John Singleton takes unabashed glee in polishing every guilty-pleasure nugget to a blindingly high sheen. (94 min.) PG-13; street racing, violence, profanity, sexual references.

WRONG TURN

(F) What's in a name? Plenty, when it's this misbegotten gorefest about a group of travelers (Chris Harrington, Eliza Dushku, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Jeremy Sisto, Kevin Zegers, Lindy Booth) stranded in the backwoods, conveniently in the path of mutant cannibal hillbillies with a taste for trapped tourists. As always with these movies, it's easy to figure out who's going to survive and make the killers cough up their own blood, but you still hope that the victims will go in the order of their performances -- worst actor first, etc. No such luck. (110 min.) R; strong violence and gore, profanity and drug use.

X2: X-MEN UNITED

(B) Telepathic Prof. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his trusty mutant team -- Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), Storm (Halle Berry), Cyclops (James Marsden) and Rogue (Anna Paquin) -- join forces, reluctantly, with power-mad Magneto (Ian McKellen) and slithery Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) to counter an anti-mutant movement led by an ex-military mastermind (Brian Cox) who may hold the key to Wolverine's enigmatic past. Alan Cumming (as Nightcrawler) and Kelly Hu (as Deathstrike) join a follow-up to the 2000 hit that's even livelier -- and more thoughtful -- than its predecessor. There are still too many characters with too many subplots to cram into one movie, but "X2" proves that it's still a lot of fun to watch them try. (133 min.) PG-13; sci-fi action/violence, sexual references, brief profanity. (C.C.)